Bradley Fung is a stand-up comedian extraordinaire based in Vancouver. You can find Bradley at his monthly comedy showcase called Buds and Suds Comedy, to which he is also a co-producer. We got a chance to interview Bradley Fung and hear all about his inspirations, pick-me-up songs and the crazy things you find on the streets of East Van!
How would you describe your comedy style?
I am obsessed with trying to find the best words for the joke, so I’m always playing with different combinations until I find something that clicks. As for the content, I try to speak from my own experiences as much as possible. This does help me get out of the house, whenever I’m on the fence about trying something new, there is a part of me that thinks, “well, at least you might get a bit out of this”. That’s the only reason I went to Wreck Beach, I promise.
Who are some of your influences?
I don’t talk about my family very much in my sets, but I think that they created a very funny and humbling environment to grow up in. I’ve also got a very patient group of friends that I’m always doing bits with. We’ve built a very strong “yes-and” culture and we will riff for way longer than anything close to a rational amount of time.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
I didn’t really discover stand-up comedy until my late teens, but growing up in Youtube’s infancy I watched a lot of sketch comedy. MadTV, Between Two Ferns, Whose Line is it Anyway? and Key & Peele were all some of my favourites.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Sebastian Maniscalco, Ali Wong, Daniel Sloss, Conan O’Brien, Gary Gulman.
What is your pre-show ritual?
I listen to the same 4 songs before every show; if you find yourself ever feeling down, queue up Hard to Handle, Here I Go Again, Pour Some Sugar on Me, and When You Were Young, and you’ll be ready to face whatever scary-looking crowd is in front of you. I also try to walk into the venue as prepared as I can, so I can hang out with the comics and relax before my spot. It doesn’t always happen, and I know that tons of comics thrive on tweaking their set until the moment they go on, but it just makes me too anxious and cranky.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
In 2022 I had the opportunity to perform at the Rio Theatre, and as someone who grew up in East Van, performing at this venue was a huge bucket list gig for me. As a bonus, the show was hosted by Charlie Demers, my professor at UBC for a comedy writing class I took, which was the first time I ever tried to write jokes. Throw in the fact that it was the largest crowd I had ever performed for, and it made for a very sentimental and special night.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
One of my oldest bits I have is about how the most dangerous person on the road is not the Asian driver, but rather it’s the white cyclist. I like to open a lot of my sets with this bit because it really seems to cross all demographics to get the crowd on board with me. It’s just one of those few universal and timeless truths we can all agree on, which really is quite beautiful.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
Go see live shows! Seeing comics on stage and supporting their work is the best way to enjoy the medium, as well as to help contribute to the overall health of our arts community. It’s a tough city to rent in, let alone put on live comedy, so go get your butt in a seat. Maybe even start with my show…
Tell us a joke about your city.
I live in East Van, and I love it here but I see some weird stuff. I mean, one time I saw a dildo in the street. First of all, you hate to see a stray, but it also had big balls on it. Why do dildos come with balls anyway? I think balls on a dildo are like the ends of a loaf of bread. Like I know that technically this is part of the whole thing but I don’t want either of these in my sandwich.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
I run Buds and Suds Comedy along with my co-producer Bryn Evans. It is a monthly comedy showcase where we host our favourite comics down in the basement at The Pint. We are absolutely thrilled about this opportunity to show off the amazing talent coming out of Vancouver, and we’re very proud of the lineups we will be putting out this year.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
Alannah Brittany, Amy Walsh, Cassidy Anhorn, Cass Furman, Danika Thibault, Danielle Florence, Gina Harms, Greta Lin, & Niki Mohrdar.
